Midseason Defensive Backs Report Card: Is Tech's Secondary Meeting the Mark?

Virginia Tech’s secondary has shown flashes but remains inconsistent at midseason.

Oct 11, 2025; Atlanta, Ga.; Georgia Tech wide receiver Bailey Stockton (7) is tackled by Virginia Tech safety Tyson Flowers (11) in the first quarter. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

At the midpoint of the 2025 season, Virginia Tech’s secondary has been one of the most intriguing — and at times, frustrating — position groups on the roster. The Hokies’ defensive backs have battled injuries, roster turnover and inexperience, doing so while being asked to anchor a defense that’s been on the field far too long this season.

Bye week 🤝 fall break

See you soon….#ThisIsHome pic.twitter.com/e68PVOSi76

— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) October 18, 2025

No position group in Blacksburg has endured more attrition since the offseason. The transfer portal exodus hit the secondary especially hard.

Dante Lovett’s departure left a major void at cornerback. Lovett was expected to be one of Tech’s top cover men, bringing length and speed to the outside as a true junior. However, Lovett found himself falling out of the two-deep by Old Dominion. Then, Christian Ellis, one of the more reliable safeties on the roster, was announced to be hitting the portal on Oct. 14.

Ellis’ absence hurt in more ways than one. He not only provided veteran leadership on the back end but also came up with the game-winning pass breakup against NC State, one of the high points of Tech’s first half of the 2025 campaign.

The silver lining to the chaos has been the emergence of the freshman class. At cornerback, Jojo Crim and Jahmari DeLoatch have been thrown into the fire, learning on the job against ACC-caliber receivers. Their technique is still developing, but both have shown competitiveness and a willingness to challenge passes downfield. Crim, in particular, has flashed strong instincts in press coverage and has shown promise as a future lockdown option. DeLoatch’s length gives him an edge in jump-ball situations, especially evident when he batted down a potential touchdown against Wake Forest in the endzone, though he’s still ironing out the finer details of route recognition and leverage. The mistakes are evident, but so is the growth.

At safety, Sheldon Robinson and Brennan Johnson have also seen increased reps, partly by necessity and partly by design. Both are still adjusting to the mental side of the game, particularly in coverage rotations and disguise. That inexperience has led to some of the big plays Tech has surrendered over the middle and in deep thirds. Still, there’s no mistaking the raw potential. It’s a young group learning under live fire, and while the growing pains have been evident, the experience these freshmen are gaining now could pay off in a significant way next year.

However, if roster turnover wasn’t enough, the injury list has been just as damaging. Caleb Brown, expected to play a significant rotational role at corner, is out for the year with a season-ending injury. His absence stripped the Hokies of valuable depth and forced the staff to burn freshman snaps earlier than planned. Cornerback Thomas Williams joined the list after going down in the Georgia Tech game, his status uncertain heading into Week 8. At safety, Quentin Reddish — who provided a spark with an interception against Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia — has been sidelined for several weeks, removing another experienced presence from the defensive backfield.

Though fellow safety Tyson Flowers has started all seven games, the depth behind him has been shaky, forcing the Hokies to lean on youth and versatility to stay afloat.

Cornerback Isaiah Brown-Murray has been one of the constants, though — and a bright one, at that. The redshirt junior of the most reliable defenders on the entire roster. His ability to play both corner and nickel has given Siefkes flexibility in disguising coverages and adjusting to different offensive looks.

Brown-Murray’s interception against Wake Forest, which came on a crucial fourth-down play, was a momentum-shifter, albeit not one that resulted in a score. He’s aggressive at the line of scrimmage, fluid and shifty and confident enough to take on top targets.

The Hokies’ defensive backs have been a paradox — young and raw, yet occasionally producing moments of spectacle. The lack of continuity has undoubtedly hurt; with new faces cycling in almost weekly, communication errors have been unavoidable. Still, there’s been steady improvement in some key areas. Tackling in the open field has been cleaner than early in the year, and the unit’s ability to contest jump balls has improved as the freshmen settle in.

The secondary still struggles at times with route recognition and spacing, particularly when offenses flood the zone with multiple receivers. Opposing quarterbacks have found success exploiting those seams, especially late in halves when the defense tires.

For the second half of the season, the goal is simple: find stability. If the Hokies can get Reddish back healthy, it’ll help settle the rotations. More importantly, continued growth from the freshmen could transform this unit from a liability into a competitive one down the stretch.

Virginia Tech’s defense has a foundation to build on. The question is whether the back end can find enough consistency to complement the front seven. For now, it’s a unit defined by flashes rather than full games of dominance. The potential is there—the execution just hasn’t caught up yet. My grade's a C here.